Determination of Groundwater Potential Zones in Kebbi State Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Access to potable water remains a major development challenge across rural Nigeria, with groundwater constituting the primary freshwater source for millions of households in the North West geopolitical zone. This study determines groundwater potential zones in Kebbi State using an integrated remote sensing and GIS approach. Spatial indicators of groundwater occurrence, including lineament density derived from Landsat 8 band ratios, drainage density from DEM hydrological analysis, soil permeability from FAO soil classifications, slope gradient, and land cover, are combined using weighted overlay analysis in ArcGIS. Lineament extraction is performed through directional filtering of panchromatic bands, and lineament density surfaces are computed to identify areas of structural porosity favourable to groundwater storage. The integrated groundwater potential map is classified into five zones from very high to very low potential. Validation against available borehole yield records from the Kebbi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency confirms a success rate of 78 percent for boreholes located in zones classified as high or very high potential. The study provides a cost-effective spatial planning tool for guiding future borehole siting programmes, reducing drilling failure rates and optimising rural water supply investment across the state. Keywords: groundwater potential, remote sensing, lineament analysis, Kebbi State, GIS.